In order to allow you to see the major events of the
Civil War unfold just as the people living at the time, we present original
Harper's Weekly articles in their entirety. Below we present the cover
leaf of the January 12, 1861 edition of Harper's Weekly. We have
digitized an image of the original leaf, and have converted it to readable
text. We acquired the original, 140 year old newspaper for the purpose
of permanently archiving it on this WEB site. If you would like to
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information contact paul@sonofthesouth.net

VOL. V.—No. 211.]

[PRICE FIVE CENTS.

Entered according to Act of
Congress, in the Year 1861, by Harper & Brothers, in the Clerk's Office of the
District Court for the Southern District of New York.

The Publishers have the pleasure
of announcing that in No. 204 (Nov. 24) of Harper's Weekly a new Novel by
CHARLES DICKENS, entitled

Great Expectations,

was commenced. Mr. DICKENS'S
Story will be richly illustrated by JOHN McLENAN, Esq.

It is printed from the Manuscript
and proof-sheets of the Author.

- Any person who remits FOUR
DOLLARS to the Publishers will receive both Harper's Magazine and Harper's
Weekly for one year, and will thus provide himself with the best reading of the
day, published in a beautiful and attractive style, far a very small sum of
money.

- Harper's Weekly will be sent
gratuitously for one month—as a specimen—to any one who applies for it.

Specimen Numbers of the Magazine
will also be sent gratuitously.

TERMS OF HARPER'S WEEKLY

1 Copy for 20 Weeks, $1

1 Copy for One Year, $2.50

1 Copy for Two Years, $4.00

5 Copies for One Year, $9.00

12 Copies for One Year, $20.00

25 Copies for One Year, $40.00

An Extra Copy will be allowed for
every Club of TWELVE SUBSCRIBERS.

MAJOR ANDERSON, U.S.A.,
COMMANDING AT FORT SUMTER.

WE are indebted to Mrs. Anderson,
wife of Major Anderson, for the likeness from which the accompanying portrait of
that gallant officer has been copied. It may be safely said that he, above all
other men, is in every one's thoughts and conversation at the present time.

Major Anderson is a Kentuckian;
he was born in that State in September, 1805. At the age of fifteen he entered
the Military Academy at West Point, and graduated in 1825. He joined the army
with the rank of Second-Lieutenant of the Second and subsequently of the Third
Artillery. In 1832 he was Inspector-General of the Illinois Volunteers, in the
Black Hawk War;
Mr. Lincoln, the President-elect being a captain of those
volunteers. In 1833 he received his commission as First-Lieutenant, and became
Instructor and Inspector at West Point. This post he held for four years, during
which period he collected the material for his work on Artillery, the standard
text-book on the subject.

In 1838, for gallantry in the
Florida War, he was made Brevet-Captain, and soon afterward joined
General
Scott's military family as aid-de-camp. The relations of Major Anderson with the
gallant old chief were so friendly and agreeable that one can well imagine the
interest felt by the latter in the Major's present movements. In October, 1841,
so slow is promotion in our army, Anderson received his commission as captain in
his regiment.

In March, 1847, he was with the
Third Regiment of Artillery in the army of
General Scott, and took part in the
siege of Vera Cruz—being one of the officers to whom was entrusted, by General
Bank head, the command of the batteries. This duty he performed with signal
skill and gallantry, and he continued with the army until its triumphal entry
into the city of Mexico, in September following. During the operations in the
valley of Mexico, he was attached to the brigade of General Garland, which
formed a part of General Worth's division. In the attack on
El Molino del Rey,
on the 8th of September, where he was wounded very severely, his conduct was the
theme of especial praise on the

part of his superior officers.
Captain Burke, his immediate commander, in his dispatch of September 9, says : "
Captain Robert Anderson (acting field-officer) behaved with great heroism on
this occasion. Even after receiving a severe and painful wound, he continued at
the head of the column, regardless of pain and self-preservation, and setting a
handsome example to his men of coolness, energy, and courage." General Garland
speaks of him as being, with "some few others, the very first to enter the
strong position of El Molino;" and adds, that "Brevet-Major Buchanan, Fourth
Infantry, Captain Anderson, Third Artillery, and Lieutenant Sedgwick, Second
Artillery, appear to have been particularly distinguished for their gallant
defense of the captured works." In addition to this testimony to his bearing on
that occasion we have that of General Worth, who particularly directed the
attention of the Commander-in-Chief to the part he had taken in the action. "
For gallant and meritorious conduct in the Battle of Molino del Rey" he was
promoted to the brevet rank of Major, dating from September 8, 1847. October 5,
1857, he was promoted to the position of Major of the First Artillery, which he
now holds.

All last summer Major Anderson
was occupied as a member of the Commission appointed to inspect the United
States Military Academy at West Point —a Commission, by-the-way, whose report
singularly confirms certain strictures passed on the diet of the cadets in this
journal last summer. It was only six weeks ago that he took the command at Fort
Moultrie.

Of Major Anderson's physique a
writer, who seems to know him well, says:

"In personal appearance he is
about five feet nine inches in height; his figure is well-set and soldierly; his
hair is thin and turning to iron gray; his complexion swarthy; his eye dark and
intelligent; his nose prominent and well formed. A stranger would read in his
air and appearance determination and an exaction of what was due to him. In
intercourse he is very courteous, and his rich voice and abundant gesticulations
go well together. He is always agreeable and gentlemanly, firm and dignified."

It is universally conceded by all
who know Major Anderson, that he is a man who will die at his post rather than
surrender. The following letter, written by him on Christmas Day to a friend in
Baltimore, shows that he is as modest as he is brave:

"DEAR SIR,—I thank you for the
trouble you were kind enough to take in correcting some of the rumors about me.
You are right in the opinion that I could not, and would not, say any thing
contradictory of them. My plan always has been to try to do my duty honestly and
fully; and to trust that, in the good sense of justice of the people, they would
give me credit for good intentions, even if my judgment should turn out not to
have been good.

" I must confess that I regret
that the papers are making so much of my position here. I do not deserve the
least credit for what I am doing—nothing more than any one else would do in my
position — and, perhaps, not half so well as many others would do. I receive,
nearly by every mail, letters of sympathy, and many of them from strangers.
(Continuation
of Major Anderson biography on Next Page)

MAJOR ANDERSON, U.S.A.,
COMMANDING AT FORT SUMTER, S. C. - [FROM A PORTRAIT IN THE POSSESSION OF MRS,
ANDERSON.]

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